


Note Taken

by Dragonomatopoeia (IntelligentAirhead)



Category: Go! プリンセスプリキュア | Go! Princess Pretty Cure
Genre: F/F, Gen, Pre-Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25489780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntelligentAirhead/pseuds/Dragonomatopoeia
Summary: Convincing Amanogawa Kirara to become a Pretty Cure may be a bit more difficult than expected. That's more than alright, however.Minami has... well, not a plan, exactly, but something close. She has information, which is the first step to success. After all, meticulous research is the foundation of any effective strategy.Unless the subject of one's study happens to find and read the journal containing aforementioned research. Any given  strategy tends to fall apart at that point.
Relationships: Amanogawa Kirara & Kaidou Minami, Amanogawa Kirara/Kaidou Minami
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Note Taken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [obstinateRixatrix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstinateRixatrix/gifts).



> This fic technically occurs in a pocket dimension of time, halfway through episode 5. Imagine more time passes between Minami and Kirara talking in the hallway and the zetsuborg appearing, and all will be well.

Minami understands that Amanogawa-san cannot find the time for extracurricular activities. She does. Even if said activities are vital to the continued happiness of the world’s dreamers. 

The dilemma at hand is one that is easy to empathize with. After all, Minami is more familiar than most with the difficulty of wrangling schedules, especially while balancing school and work. As wonderful as it might be to wave a hand and watch the world arrange itself, appointments rely on the careful negotiation between people and their respective timetables. Asking Amanogawa-san to place all of that aside would not only devalue her work and dedication, but also the time and efforts of others.

Which is why Minami doesn’t plan to ask. She plans to make an appeal. A petition, even! 

After all, an informed decision can only be made once one has all of the relevant information. It’s only reasonable to present an exhaustive, comprehensive case before Amanogawa-san. Anything less would be negligent. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Minami would be shirking her duties as Cure Mermaid if she _didn’t_ make one last attempt at convincing her. 

And if the timing happens to coincide with the way Amanogawa-san has been wavering, recently, thanks to Haruno-san’s advanced skills in applied friendship, well… That’s just a matter of taking opportunities as they come. 

Besides, Amanogawa-san is skilled enough at strategic timing to understand its necessity. It’s something Minami appreciates about her. A strict schedule is much easier to work around than the ambient possibility of unavailability, after all, and it makes figuring out when to approach Amanogawa-san the easiest part of planning the venture. 

Which means the only thing left for Minami to plan is… well, every other possible detail.

Fortunately, Minami’s never been afraid of a little extra work. Within the space of a few days, she’s collected and compiled most of the information necessary to determine the most effective method of approach. Altogether, it’s given her enough of a foundation to follow up on several ideas, though she’s left quite a bit of space for further development. 

So far, her planning journal reads:

**Amanogawa Kirara**

  * Biographical Information:
    * Thirteen-years-old, born September 12th 
    * First year
    * Recurring cover model for Young Teen Magazine, Standing Contract 
      * (Primarily Spring months— Image association?) 
  * Interests/Likes: 
    * Marble donuts- Favorite flavor (as-of-yet) uncertain
    * Yellow/other similarly warm hues
    * Fashion
      * Positive attitude towards proportion mixing trend- December’s Interview on Maxi dresses
        * Pros/Cons of citing specific interviews? Ask Haruno-san.
      * She seems to avoid the unexpected texture trend. Styling issue or personal preference?
  * Strengths:
    * Choreography
    * Styling
    * Direction
    * Logistics and Scheduling
    * Industry-specific knowledge
    * Sketching
    * Self-discipline
    * Confidence
    * Resilience
    * Passion
    * Commitment 
  * Possible Approaches:
    * ~~Donuts?~~ Too similar to Haruno-san’s approach
    * Invite her to ballet practice
    * Strike up a discussion regarding work
      * Segue into responsibilities
    * More casual conversation?
      * Popular Topics of Conversation
        * Weekend Activities
        * The Weather— Possible impact on photo shoots?
      * Interest-based conversation 
        * Shared Experiences
        * Aspirations
        * Popular and Historical Fashion’s Impact on Costuming in Ballet
        * The Importance of A Good Work-Ethic
    * ~~Suspension Bridge Effect~~
    * Greet Amanogawa-san often enough that she initiates a conversation



Minami’s work might benefit from a little more biographical information, or some external workshopping from Haruno-san, but as it stands, it’s a good start.

Or, it would be, if she hadn’t lost her notebook. 

It isn’t the end of the world. It isn’t even the worst thing to happen that week. Contrary to the opinions of many, Minami isn’t impervious to misplacing things, and she can resign herself to the reality that these things do happen, even if she really should know better than to leave her things lying around, and if it were a more important document there would certainly be more extensive consequences, and she needs to be more methodical in the future if she is to continue to act as befitting of her position. All of that is fine, however. Most things can be remedied, if enough work is put in, after all. She’ll reflect on this shortcoming and remedy it later. 

For now, her priority is finding the notebook. 

Minami retraces her steps, and when that doesn’t work, asks Haruno-san if she remembers Minami leaving it somewhere. She doesn’t, but she does volunteer to ask various classmates to see if they’ve seen it anywhere.

In hindsight, that approach seems obvious. In practice, many of their peers are… enthusiastic, but largely unhelpful. 

It isn’t until Minami asks a student by the stairs, long after she and Haruno-san have parted ways in their search, that the answer doesn’t so much fall into her lap as it does hit her over the head.

“So it i _s_ yours,” a voice calls from above, seconds after the student had given her apologies and wandered off. “Thought so, but you can never be sure.”

Minami turns toward the stairs, her smile collapsing when she sees the owner of the voice. Sitting on the landing, notebook open in her lap, is Amanogawa Kirara. 

“I was looking for a name so I could return it,” Amanogawa-san says, waving her pencil at the open pages. “Gotta say…” She arches an eyebrow. “Wasn’t expecting to see mine.” 

Minami takes a steadying breath. Yes, the situation might be grim, but it isn’t irrecoverable. She can work with this. 

“My apologies. I was attempting to determine what the best way to approach you might be, but I realize my methods might have come across as a bit… overzealous.”

“Huh,” Amanogawa-san says, after a moment. She arches an eyebrow. “How about that.” There’s a moment where she looks down at the notebook in thought, expression unreadable. Then, she snaps it closed.

“What about my weaknesses?” 

“Your…” Minami takes a moment. And then another. “I do apologize, but what?”

“You only have my strengths listed in here,” Amanogawa-san says, holding the journal up and tapping it with her pencil. “Wouldn’t it be more effective to target my weaknesses? Then I’d have to join up with you and Haruharu, whether I want to or not.”

“Target? We’re— We are _not_ targeting you!” Minami can hardly shape the words. What is Amanogawa-san imply— well, not so much implying as outright accusing, and no one would ever accuse her of masking her intentions, but still! “All we’re doing is—”

“Headhunting.” Amanogawa-san shrugs, but her eyes are cold. Measuring. Disappointed? “There’s no shame in it. Aside from your weak tactics, anyway.” 

“But that’s not what I— This isn’t—” Minami scrambles for words that refuse to slot into place. How has this gone so wrong so quickly? How can she explain this? How can she _fix_ this?

“Listen.” Amanogawa sighs, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t going to work if you’re not going to be up-front with me. I get it, you need to meet a quota, and I fit the casting—”

_“That’s not it!”_

Minami claps her hands to her mouth, a poor attempt at covering up the words that have already ripped themselves from her lips. It’s far too late to retrieve them, loud and sharp as a rock through a window as they were, and now she’s left staring at Amanogawa-san, who looks just as startled as Minami is, eyes blown wide, and neither of them are saying anything, and Amanogawa-san isn’t reacting at all until she is, and—

She’s laughing.

“Why—” Amanogawa-san is cut off by a wheeze. “Why are _you_ startled? You’re the one who yelled!

“I… I apologize!” Minami can feel her face overheating, and it is only years of dedication and habit that give her the decorum to remove her hands from her face. Even if it would feel much better to hide behind them. . “I didn’t mean to… It was just that, well, I didn’t want you to misunderstand.”

“Uh, yeah! I can tell.” Amanogawa-san is, for whatever peculiar reason, smiling at her. 

She gives Minami a long studying look, then shakes her head, her smile never faltering.

“Okay,” she says after a small eternity, and it sounds almost like an admission of defeat. “So you’re not asking me to join the team?”

“Ah, well...” Minami starts, then falters. There may never be a time where her blush recedes. “I am.”

“Huh.” It appears that Amanogawa-san specializes in making her expressions unreadable. Perhaps that should have been added to her list of strengths. “But…?”

“It isn’t _just_ that,” Minami rushes to clarify, glad for the chance. “Or rather, it isn’t just because you happened to have the perfume bottle, or some quota we’re attempting to meet.” Her hands clench tighter around her bag. “You’re a very determined, passionate individual, and I admire that about you. It would be a pleasure to have you on the team because of… well, who you are as a person.”

Amanogawa-san stares at her for a long moment, eyes flickering like she’s trying to read Minami’s thoughts in the empty air. Then, all at once, she relaxes.

“Wow,” she says, grinning. “You kind of suck at this, huh?”

What?

“Excuse me?” 

“I gotta say, I was wondering why you wouldn’t just leave it to Haruharu.” Amanogawa-san continues to do an excellent job of clarifying absolutely nothing. “I mean, if this was really just about me joining up, she’d be your best bet at this point, yeah?”

Minami really wished she could follow this conversation. Unfortunately, Amanogawa-san excels in throwing Minami off her rhythm. Yet another skill that Minami should have pencilled into the ‘Strengths’ section of her notes when she had the chance.

“But it all makes sense if you actually wanted to get _me_ to join.” 

“...Yes?” Minami opens and closes her mouth, trying to formulate a response. “That was, in fact, the point of— I apologize, am I missing something here?”

“You acted like you needed _someone_ to join your team, _”_ Amanogawa says, wagging a finger. “Like, an inoffensive coworker who just clocks in for the paycheck. And you tried to sell me on that job description. Which! Is where you went wrong, FYI.”

“I mean, if you try to package something so it appeals to anyone and everyone, that just gets rid of the stuff you actually wanna show off. It’s like…” Amanogawa-san taps a finger against her chin for a moment. “It’s like normcore, y’know? The reason it’s popular right now is because it’s, like, the standard, right? Cute stuff that appeals to everyone. But if you want to stand out with it, you need something that really pops, y’know!”

“I don’t think I’m following,” Minami says, brow wrinkling in thought. It’s galling to admit, really. All that time spent on research, yet when her knowledge is put to the test, she still has no clue what Amanogawa-san means. What is Minami supposed to be selling here?

“I’m saying, if you wanna be my friend, then sell me on your friendship, Minamin.”

Oh. So that’s what she’s selling.

“I see,” Minami says, exhaling. And she does. Even though she might be a bit out of her depth regarding how she’s supposed to begin proceeding from here. “In that case… Would you like a list of _my_ strengths, then?”

Amanogawa-san stares at her in disbelief for a long moment, then bursts into laughter. 

“No thanks,” she says, the words interrupted by a laugh. Her eyes shine like stars, twinkling with expectant delight. “I’m looking forward to collecting my own data.”

Minami can’t help but look forward to that as well. She looks away for a moment, but can't hide her smile.

“Please do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go out to Stella for the request!


End file.
